The cream of Australian cycling bring it home

4.25pm: Gerrans uses the work of team mate Cameron Meyer to takes out the sprint ahead of Evans and Porte.

4.17pm: Huge effort from Evans to bridge gap made by Simon Gerrans. Half a lap to go. Cameron Meyer and Richie Porte still present.

4.10pm: Field back together. 19 in the lead group, Evans and Porte still present.

4.02: Evans tucked in behind Porte as the breakaway is whittled down to 24 riders on the 17th lap.

3.45pm: A dramatic finish is brewing. Attacks are coming left, right and center up the 16th lap climb. Simon Clarke has split the lead group up, while Evans looks to be under the pump in the chasing peloton. Richie Porte however looks comfortable.

3.31pm: Evans put under pressure and forced to respond to a Simon Gerrans attack as the peloton starts to fragment.

3.19pm: Evans back up with the peloton after a scare that required a wheel change. Negotiated 14th climb comfortably.

3.03pm: Evans undertook wheel change at six-kilometre mark of 13th lap. Stuck in convoy after what looked to be a puncture.

2.55pm: Will Walker and Josh Taylor have been dropped from the lead group and have fallen back to the peloton, which is still three minutes behind. Evans looking as strong as ever. Only 58 kilometres to go now.

1.50pm: The peloton has brought the breakaway's lead down to below three minutes at the start of the eighth lap. Evans and Porte looking comfortable up front.

1.13pm: Evans, alongside 20-30 other riders, has been momentarily separated from the main peloton on the fourth lap descent.

11.40am: Evans was one of the last two cyclists to join the peloton for the The race has started, with Evans one of the final two cyclists to join the peloton.

11.23am: Cadel Evans conducts his final pre-race interviews and signs off for the open men's road race.

Evans has conceded that the odds are against him for this year's national crown, but nonetheless believes he has had a "solid build up" to the 2014 cycling season.

Evans has nominated Drapac and Orica-GreenEDGE as the teams most likely to take home the Australian title.